It's a Wonderful Circle of Life
by fireonfire
Summary: A Lion King AU starring Sam as Simba. Yeah. Sam/Gabriel slash.
1. Chapter 1

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: Slash pairing, spoilers for The Lion King, shapeshifters and slight genderswap, if you choose to view it that way._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own The Lion King or Supernatural, and the title is a play on the title of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life", which I also don't own._**

**_A/N: This story is the direct result of watching The Lion King back-to-back with Season One of Supernatural. The actor who plays Sam is basically Simba's twin. If Simba were real, and not a lion. Also, I toe the line in this story with genderswap. Most of the characters are shapeshifters, and some of them are male humans and female lions. In most cases, I will refer to the character as their human gender. Hmm...that's a bit confusing, but I hope you get my drift._**

**_Now, on to the show...(story)..._**

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><p><em>Chapter One<em>

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><p>The sun rose over the Serengeti in flashes of gold and red. From atop Pride Rock, a young boy watched it with childish excitement. Then he returned to the den, where the rest of the pride still slept. They were sprawled over each other; some were in their human skins, others in their lion form, all huddled for warmth. Only two lay separately, at the deepest and warmest part of the cave.<p>

Sam's father had his arm wrapped tightly around his mother, his nose buried in her hair. He was still asleep.

Sam scrambled over the other lionesses, to where his parents slept. He nudged his father's shoulder with his foot. "Dad," he whispered, but the sound of his voice carried easily in the cave.

John Winchester grumbled irritably.

Sam huffed, kicking at his father a little less gently this time. "_Dad,"_ he whined. "Daaaaad."

Mary shifted in her mate's arms and peered at Sam sleepily. She sighed and said, "John."

John growled stubbornly, and did not move.

"Oh come _on_," Sam groaned.

"You did promise, John," Mary said.

"Did I?" John grumbled.

"_Yes_," Sam said impatiently.

"I don't remember," John said groggily.

Mary pulled out of John's arms. "_John,_" she said.

John sighed heavily, sounding very much put out. "Alright, fine. I'm up."

He rolled to his back with a yawn. Then his form blurred, stretching and bulging, and he clambered up onto four feet. He shook his dark mane with another large yawn. He padded easily past the other lionesses in the den, out into the morning sunlight.

Mary smiled and reached up to push a lock of Sam's hair out of his face. "Have a good day, baby," she said.

"I will, Mom," Sam promised. "Love you."

He weaseled his way back over the other lionesses, stepping on a few tails and a few fingers as he went. Outside, the sunlight blinded him long enough that he didn't see his father until the older lion knocked into him, only hard enough to send him stumbling.

Sam laughed, and closed his eyes as he'd been taught. The change from human to lion was still a slow process for him, but with practice he'd be able to make the change in seconds, whenever he wanted to. For now, the process took several long minutes.

John was sniffing the morning breeze curiously when Sam was finally ready to go. He looked back at the den longingly one last time, before blinking tiredly at Sam. He sighed fondly. "Come on," he said. His voice was much deeper in this form.

He led Sam up the long winding trail to the peak of Pride Rock, from which all of the Pridelands were visible. Far below, Sam could see all the herds—the zebras, the gazelle. Near the watering hole, a family of elephants threw dirt across their backs to protect themselves from the harsh sunlight.

"This is our land," John said to Sam, his voice a pleasant and familiar rumble. "Everything the light touches is our kingdom. It was given to us, long ago." He looked at Sam.

"Lions are the King of Beasts," he explained. "It's why we are given two forms, while every other beast is given only one. To walk as humans brings us insight-wisdom. Our lion skins give us strength."

Sam nodded his understanding, and then looked back over the kingdom. Everything the light touched…

"What about that shadowy place?" he asked.

John followed his gaze. "That's beyond our borders," John replied. "Those that don't accept our rule are exiled there. You must never go there Sam," he added pointedly. "It's no place for a young lion. Understand?"

Sam nodded earnestly.

John continued to look at him shrewdly. "Promise me."

Sam rolled his eyes. "I promise."

They left Pride Rock and wandered the grasslands, the long grass tickling Sam's nose. The sun was climbing steadily higher; the heat was sweltering. Flies bit at Sam's face, and Sam snapped his jaws at them playfully.

"The King's job," John continued, though Sam was only barely listening, "is to understand and maintain the balance of the Pridelands. Everything is connected. Without the antelope, or the wildebeest, we wouldn't survive. And without us, the vultures and hyenas would suffer. It's a cycle. My father called it the Circle of Life."

Sam nodded absently. A small mouse had crossed their path, and Sam pounced after it. He felt that being a lion sometimes gave him a shorter attention span. Eventually, he would supposedly grow used to it and gain more control over his mind, but it got to be very distracting.

"Sire!"

Sam's attention snapped up to the sky, following the voice. A rather colorful bird with a large beak circled overhead. It was Bobby, John's eyes and ears around the kingdom. Sam had been taught at a young age that Bobby wasn't food, no matter how easy prey he seemed to be.

Usually gruff, this morning he looked frantic, his feather's ruffled. He landed at John's feet, panting slightly. "Hyenas, in the Pridelands!" he reported. "The giraffe's spotted them to the northwestern borders at dawn."

John snarled angrily. "I'll take care of them," he said darkly. "Take Sam home."

"But Dad—" Sam began indignantly.

"No!" John replied sharply. Wait for me at home. I'll be back soon."

He leapt into a run, taking him away from Sam at a pace Sam wouldn't be able to match. Sam sighed irritably. His dad never let him go on any important missions. He hardly even let him away from Pride Rock on his own.

"Come on, Sam," Bobby said, gentle in his own gruff sort of way. He took to the air, fluttering overhead as Sam turned back the way they'd come, tail drooping dejectedly.

"Your dad'll be fine," Bobby assured him.

"I know," Sam replied quietly. It wasn't that he was worried. Nothing could even touch his dad. He just hated being left behind all the time. It was like John didn't trust him to take care of himself. Sam was three, hardly even a cub anymore.

The walk back to Pride Rock was silent, and seemed much shorter than the walk away. Another field mouse ran across the path in front of him, but Sam's control must have been improving, because he didn't spare it a second glance.


	2. Chapter 2

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: See chapter one_**

**_Disclaimer: Rule of thumb-if it seems familiar, I probably don't own it._**

**_A/N(cont.): I'd like to add that I have proofread this story, but it hasn't been beta'd so it's possible that there may be some spelling or grammar mistakes, and I'd like to apologize for those in advance. If you see anything that makes you cringe, just let me know, and I'll fix it ASAP. Possibly sooner. Thanks!_**

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><p><em>Chapter Two<em>

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><p>"Hey, Uncle 'Zazel!"<p>

A golden, feline eye peeked at Sam from under dark eyelids. Azazel was lounging lazily in the sun. Upon seeing Sam's approach, he shifted back into his human form and sat up slowly. "My name is _Azazel_," he said emphatically.

"And what does my favorite nephew need from me today?" he asked lightly, smiling at Sam.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm you're only nephew, Uncle Azazel," he replied.

"Hmm, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Azazel said vaguely.

Sam liked Azazel. He was the funniest lion in the pride, except maybe Gabriel. And he had a cool scar from fighting rogue lions. The only problem was that he wasn't always around. Sometimes he's go missing for days, and come back with crazy stories that Sam didn't really believe.

"Where's your father?" Azazel asked. "Didn't he promise to show you the kingdom today?"

Sam slumped slightly, and pulled his bangs self-consciously into his eyes. "Yeah. But he left to go hyena-hunting."

"Ah," Azazel said patiently.

"I wanted to go," Sam added defensively. He didn't want Azazel to think he was a coward. "Dad said I couldn't."

"Of course you couldn't," Azazel said teasingly. "You're far too small. To a hungry hyena you'd hardly even be a snack."

"I'm not too small!" Sam protested crossly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Azazel replied. "When your father was young, he needed our dad around to protect him all the time too." He squeezed Sam's shoulders with one arm reassuringly.

"So what did your father show you," he then asked.

Sam grinned. "_Everything_," he said.

Azazel raised an eyebrow. "Everything?" he repeated. "So then you saw the Elephant Graveyard?"

Sam sat forward excitedly. "There's an Elephant Graveyard?" he demanded.

"You didn't know?" Azazel said, wide-eyed. "Oh dear. I shouldn't have told you. Your father will be furious with me."

Sam shook his head vigorously. "I won't tell," he promised.

"Oh, you're too kind," Azazel said.

"Where is it?" Sam pressed. "The Elephant Graveyard? No one's ever said anything about it before."

"Well of course not," Azazel replied dismissively. "We're not supposed to. Only the strongest, bravest lions are allowed to go there. Only the bravest know where it is."

"Do you know where it is?" Sam asked hopefully. He sat forward on his knees eagerly.

"Obviously," Azazel said with a dry smile. "But I can't tell you. An Elephant Graveyard is no place for someone as young as you are."

Sam pouted. "But what if I promised not to go?" he said. "Please?" He tried to look sad and pathetic. Gabriel said that he was impossible to resist when he looked sad and pathetic.

"Oh, I don't know Sam; I'm really not supposed to say…" Azazel said.

"I won't tell," Sam promised.

Azazel hummed uncertainly. He eyed Sam, as if sizing him up. "Oh, all right," he said, sighing. "But only if you _promise_ not to ever go there."

Sam nodded quickly, but crossed his fingers under his leg just in case. It might be worth checking out someday.

"Very well," Azazel agreed, still sounding dubious. "It's just past the northern borders of the Pridelands. But do _not_ tell your father that I told you. It would get me into very big trouble."

"I won't," Sam said solemnly. On this he was telling the truth. He wasn't a rat.

"Good man," Azazel said. "Now run along. You're making me miss my nap.

"And remember," he said, as Sam was leaving. He winked. "It's our little secret."

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><p>Gabriel was a year older than Sam, even though his mother was four years younger than Sam's mom. John and Mary had had kids later in their lives than usual, not that anyone would ever dare to say anything.<p>

Gabriel was Sam's best friend, despite the age difference. He was special, even according to the older lionesses. Even though his human form was male, he was a lioness when he was in his fur. Sam's mother said that it was a rare phenomenon, but it must have run in Gabriel's family, because Castiel had been born the same way. Gabriel didn't really like to talk about it, but Sam thought it was pretty cool. At least, Gabriel was really cool, whether he was a boy or a girl.

"Hey, Gabe! I _have_ to show you something!" Sam called when he returned to the den.

Gabriel had been playing an easy game of tag with his younger brother, but he shook out of his fur when he saw Sam coming, becoming human in a few brief seconds. He glanced over his shoulder at his mother, who was dozing in the shade.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's a surprise," Sam said. "But it's _really_ cool."

"Really cool, huh?" the voice was familiar, and Sam froze.

Mary stepped up beside him and scooped Castiel's tiny feline form into her arms. "Where's this really cool place?"

"Uh," Sam said dumbly. "Near the watering hole?"

Mary gave him a disbelieving look.

Gabriel scoffed. "What's so great about the watering hole?"

"_I'll show you when we get there,"_ Sam replied pointedly.

Gabriel winced guiltily. "Oh," he said. He looked at Mary beseechingly. He was also pretty convincing when he looked sad and pathetic. "May we go, Mrs. Winchester?"

Mary glanced at Gabriel's mother, still sleeping, and sighed. "I guess it would be okay. But only if you take Bobby with you."

Sam groaned. "Bobby?" he whined.

"Those are my terms," Mary replied firmly. "No Bobby, no _really cool watering hole._"

"Fine," Sam sighed. He made a sour face behind his mother's back that had Castiel, now mostly human, giggling wildly.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up," Bobby said impatiently. He coasted along above their heads, circling back once in a while to check for danger.<p>

Sam and Gabriel lagged behind him purposefully, hoping that Bobby might get impatient enough to fly on ahead and let them make a break for it. They were having no such luck.

Sam growled, looking up at their guardian in annoyance. "We need to get rid of him," he muttered to Gabriel. He was sure Gabriel could think up a plan to ditch Bobby. Gabriel was good at thinking up plans.

Gabriel's tail swished slowly, in a way that somehow seemed mischievous, and he smirked smugly.

"Leave it to me," Gabriel said. His voice was distinctly more feminine in this form, though it fit him just as well as his human voice did.

"Hey, you two lovebirds coming or what?" Bobby called down to them.

"_Lovebirds?"_ Sam squawked, deeply offended.

Bobby just chuckled like he'd made a particularly good joke. The laughter stopped abruptly, though, and Bobby asked, "Hey, what are you doing?" He sounded alarmed.

Gabriel had slipped off the path, lying low in the grass. There was a flock of flamingos roosting at the edge of the watering hole, just a few yards away. Gabriel appeared to be hunting them.

"Hey," Bobby said, "don't you…Gabriel, don't even think about—"

It was too late. Gabriel had pounced loudly, trying to startle as many birds as he could. In a wave, hundreds of pink birds flooded into the air. Bobby shouted as they buffeted him.

"That should keep him busy," Gabriel said complacently.

Sam laughed. "C'mon!" he said. He herded Gabriel to the north, past the watering hole. Bobby's angry voice was still shouting behind them, and they sped their pace to a run.

The shadowy lands that housed the Elephant Graveyard were a bit of a journey away, and soon they were out of breath.

Sam searched the skies behind them, but didn't see any familiar birds anywhere. They'd given Bobby the slip.

"So where _are _we going?" Gabriel asked.

"An _Elephant Graveyard_," Sam replied excitedly.

"Sweet," Gabriel said. He glanced behind. "As long as Banana Beak doesn't catch up. How much further?"

"Er, not much," Sam answered uncertainly.

He'd never been there, but he was sure they'd find it eventually. How could anyone miss something like an elephant graveyard?

In the end, he needn't have worried. It was a long walk, and eventually Sam and Gabriel had lapsed into games of Pouncing and Pinning. It was in the middle of one of these games that the two cubs tumbled over the edge of a shallow ravine, and right into what they'd been searching for.

Sam coughed at the dust and debris that their fall had raised. He pulled himself awkwardly to his feet, knocking Gabriel to the side in the process. Before him was a huge, towering skull. Tusks protruded from the front of it, bleached white by the sun.

"Whoa," Sam whispered. There was a powerful silence hanging over the place that Sam was reluctant to break.

Gabriel had no such qualms. "Man, this place _reeks_. How many elephants _died_ here?"

It was hard to tell. The skeletons were scattered as far as Sam could see.

The skull looked big enough for him to climb into. He trotted towards it, sniffing the air experimentally. All he could really smell was a strong mildew scent.

"I wonder if its brains are still in there?" he said.

"Only one way to find out," Gabriel replied with an eager smile. "Let's check it out."

"Oh no you don't!" Bobby barked, diving down in front of them. "That was a cute trick, Gabriel, but fun's over. I'm taking you home _now!"_

Gabriel gave Bobby a cool look. "Oh, come on, Feathers," he said. "Like you don't want to look around."

"I _don't_," Bobby replied angrily. "You have no idea just how dangerous it is for you to be here."

"Dangerous?" Gabriel repeated doubtfully. "It's just a pile of dead elephant. Or will their ghosts pop out and eat us?"

"Not if we get to you first," a low, laughing voice said from within the shadows of the elephant skull. Three large, misshapen animals padded out, growling like thunder.

Sam had never seen a hyena up close, and he was beginning to wish he never had to. They were big, with mean, ugly faces and menacing eyes. He tried to put himself between them and Gabriel, even though he was trembling so hard he could barely see straight. It was one of the lessons his father had been pounding into his head since he was old enough to understand them: _We protect our lionesses, Sam._

Sam wanted to make his father proud, but not as much as he really wanted to run away. Fast.

"I call the bigger one," the female hyena said.

Sam felt a slight twinge of shame to know that she meant Gabriel—Sam was definitely smaller.

"Ed can have the bird," one of the males said, indicating to his drooling comrade, who had a spark of insanity in its eyes. "Too chewy for me."

Ed made a low, grunting noise that may have been agreement.

"Always so picky, Harry," the female chided.

"Like you're one to talk, Maggie," Harry said, his voice close to whining. "You always get the first choice. I think me and Ed deserve a decent meal for a change."

Bobby sidled up closely to Sam. "Run," he whispered, so quietly that Sam barely heard him.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

"Run," Bobby said. "Now! Run _NOW_!"

Gabriel pushed Sam into a run, and they sprinted back towards the ravine walls they'd arrived here from. One of the hyenas jumped ahead of them though, blocking the way and snapping at their ankles as they turned and dashed in another direction.

The ducked through a skeletal ribcage, then scrambled up and enormous spine. Sam could feel the brush of the hyenas' teeth on his tail.

"Where's Bobby?" Gabriel asked through heavy breaths.

Sam chanced a look behind him and found that Bobby was indeed missing, but their hyena pursuers were still hot on their trail.

"Just run," Sam urged, and he butted his head against Gabriel's haunches to hurry him along.

"C'mon, this way," Gabriel said, making a sharp turn to the right, into a wide cave mouth. Sam only realized the mistake in coming this direction after it was too late.

Gabriel scrabbled uselessly at the back of the cave, then whirled to look at Sam, terrified.

They were trapped.

They backed up against the cave wall, huddling together defensively.

The hyenas approached, laughing triumphantly.

"That was a nice try," the female hyena—Maggie—said.

Sam tried to think what his father would do, if he were here. Or what Uncle Azazel would do. Only the strongest, bravest lions came here, and Sam would be one of them. He would.

He growled, as deeply and threateningly as he could. For a moment, the hyenas faltered, looking at each other in confusion.

Sam could feel Gabriel shivering beside him, and his resolve strengthened. He took a deep breath, and roared.

Or he tried to. The end result was highly disappointing.

The hyenas burst into delighted laughter, falling back a few steps in their amusement.

"That was pretty good!" Harry exclaimed jokingly. "I was almost scared!"

"Go ahead, try it again," Maggie said.

Sam did try again, despite the terrifying hopelessness settling into his chest.

The roar that echoed through the cave was deafening, and the three hyenas froze in surprise.

Sam shot Gabriel a baffled look. Could he have really…?

Sam's father went at the hyenas from behind, taking the element of surprise. Bobby flapped at the mouth of the cave, disheveled but uninjured.

Sam flinched as his father's giant paws batted each hyena to the ground, trapping them easily beneath his bulk. He stood over them in seconds, victorious, before their cries of pain had ceased.

The hyenas whined loudly, pawing the ground desperately in an attempt to escape.

"SILENCE!" John roared.

The hyenas subsided obediently into low, pathetic whimpers.

"If you _ever_ come near my son again, I will kill you," John snarled. "_Are we clear?"_

The three of them were quivering too violently to make any answer, but their fear seemed to be a satisfying enough answer for John. He released them without another word, and they fled, as fast as their feet would take them.

There was a tense silence in their wake. Sam knew he was in trouble, and his tail drooped. "Dad…"

"I don't want to hear it," John said shortly. He looked over to Gabriel. "Are you both okay?"

The cubs nodded quietly.

John made a low, fierce sound in his throat. "Let's go home," he growled, pacing out of the cave too quickly for Sam to keep up.


	3. Chapter 3

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: See chapter one. Also, short chapter. So be on the look out for that..._**

**_Disclaimer: Look, reader...Everything the computer monitor touches...is not mine._**

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><p><em>Chapter Three<em>

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><p>Sam kept low as they walked home, with his eyes on the ground. His only comfort was Gabriel's warm presence at his side.<p>

His father stopped abruptly, nearly five minutes from Pride Rock. He sat down.

"Bobby, get Gabriel home," he said curtly. "I need to talk with Sam."

Bobby nodded silently, wheeling back and landing beside the two cubs.

"C'mon, Gabriel. Sam—" Bobby sighed, "—good luck, kid."

Gabriel rubbed up against Sam as he left, in a show of support. "Bye," he whispered, his whole form tense with worry.

"Bye," Sam replied, trying not to whimper. He'd never seen his father so mad.

"Sam," John said impatiently. Sam jumped, startled by his voice breaking the silence.

Sam padded up to his father quietly, and sat unhappily at his side. He didn't dare look up to meet John's gaze.

"You should have known better," his father said harshly, after a long, painful silence.

"I know," Sam muttered. "I'm sorry."

"You could have been killed," John said emphatically. "And what's worse is that you put Gabriel in danger as well."

"I didn't mean to!" Sam objected. "I just wanted to see what was out there. I wanted to be brave like you."

"I know," John sighed. "But you can't afford to take those risks, Sam. You are the future of this kingdom, do you understand?"

"I guess," Sam said quietly.

John continued relentlessly. "There will come a day when I won't be here, Sam, and it'll be up to you to carry on my legacy."

It was the first time Sam had ever heard his father talk of leaving, and he couldn't imagine why John would ever _want _to go. He was the king here, after all. And surely he wouldn't leave Sam and his mother behind when he left, would he?

"You're going away?" Sam asked anxiously. "But why? I didn't mean to disappoint you! I'm sorry!"

John pulled Sam closer to him with one huge paw, chuckling.

"I would never willingly leave you, Sam," he said gently. "But everyone's time together has to end eventually. Just know that even though you may not be able to see me, I will always be with you. After I'm gone, I'll watch over you from the stars, just as every king before me watches us."

Sam looked up at the night sky. Two stars shone brightly among their dim brethren.

"The stars are watching me?" he said apprehensively. He looked up at his father, disturbed. "Even when I go to the bathroom?"

John laughed deeply, and nuzzled Sam's head in a rare display of affection. "I'm sure they give you the privacy you deserve," he replied.

They settled down, side by side in the grass. John yawned, but seemed content to sit and watch the stars for a while longer.

"Hey dad?" Sam finally asked.

"Hmm?" John replied.

"I'm really sorry," Sam said.

John looked down at him, a trace of affection in his eyes. "I know," he replied. "But from now on I don't want you to leave Pride Rock without your mother or me with you. Okay?"

"Okay," Sam agreed sullenly. He supposed he could find things to do at Pride Rock. Maybe Gabriel would stay with him.

John shifted, and rested his head heavily over Sam's back. "I couldn't stand to lose you, Sam," he admitted. "There's no greater pain than losing a son."

Sam wondered how John knew that. He hadn't lost Sam yet. "You won't lose me," Sam promised. "We'll always be together, no matter what."

His father hummed thoughtfully at that, and said nothing more. The night was completely still, like the calm before a storm.

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><p>Sam lay awake in the den, a few feet from his mother and father's sleeping forms. He studied his fingers in the dark, thoughtfully.<p>

Gabriel edged up next to Sam quietly. He smelled clean, like he'd had a bath in the river. He poked Sam hard between the shoulder blades.

"Was he really mad?" Gabriel whispered.

"No," Sam whispered back. All in all, his dad's temper could have been much worse. "I'm not allowed to leave Pride Rock, though."

"Me neither," Gabriel confessed. "My mom was really mad. I have to babysit Castiel during the days now. Like that'll keep me out of trouble."

"I'm sorry," Sam said miserably. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble. Or to put you in danger."

He felt Gabriel shrug, even in the dark. "I don't mind," Gabriel said softly. He was breathing on the back of Sam's neck.

"But we could've _died_," Sam said. "And it would've been all my fault."

"Hey," Gabriel said sharply. He rolled Sam onto his back and pinned him there. "I mean it. I know you've got my back, no matter what. And I've got yours right back."

Sam smiled gratefully. "You're my best friend, Gabe," he said.

"Oh, jeez," Gabriel groaned. He collapsed onto Sam's chest, knocking the wind from his lungs. "I love you too. As a friend, I mean. Anything else would be creepy." He yawned widely. "Now shut up and go to sleep."

He rolled away, putting his back to Sam. Sam watched his sides rise and fall, until his breath slowed and Sam knew he was asleep. Sam smiled to himself, and closed his eyes. They fell asleep pressed together for warmth.


	4. Chapter 4

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: See chapter one_**

**_Disclaimer: Still not mine._**

**_Return of the A/N: Reviews are of course, welcome, but not necessary. I write mostly to shut my brain up. It gets noisy up there sometimes._**

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><p><em>Chapter Four<em>

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><p>The problem with Pride Rock was that it was <em>boring.<em> All the older lionesses ever did was sleep, and John and Mary hadn't been anywhere to be seen since Sam woke that morning. Even with Gabriel stuck in the den with him, Sam had never been so fed up.

Castiel was romping with the other younger cubs, and Sam and Gabriel were watching them play, but neither had any inclination of joining in. All the cubs their age were allowed to go down to the watering hole, with Bobby to watch them. Sam never thought he'd miss Bobby, but there it was. He missed Bobby.

"Hey, it's Uncle Scarface," Gabriel muttered to Sam, bumping his shoulder roughly.

Azazel paced into the den, glancing once at the other cubs, and then focusing on Sam. His tail flicked absently at a fly buzzing near his side.

Sam sat up. Being still for so long had made him drowsy, and he blinked slowly at his uncle. "'Zazel?"

Azazel didn't comment on the misuse of his name. "Your father asked me to get you. He wants to meet you at the Gorge."

Sam didn't remember his father mentioning the Gorge. "Why?" he asked.

"I'm not supposed to say," Azazel drawled. "Are you coming?"

Sam looked at Gabriel in confusion. Gabriel shrugged once, and nodded.

"I'm not supposed to leave unless—"

"Yes, I know," Azazel said impatiently. "But your father sent me, you see. So in this case it's okay."

Well, then Sam wasn't about to pass up any excuse to get out of the den. "Okay."

"Well, hurry up," Azazel said. "I'd like to be there before the sun gets too high."

Sam looked over at the other lionesses on babysitting duty. They didn't seem concerned to see him leaving with his uncle.

Sam trotted after Azazel, who was moving a little too quickly for Sam to walk comfortably. The walk was mostly silent; Azazel didn't seem to be in a very talkative mood.

Sam didn't mind, though. He enjoyed the morning sun and the breeze on his face. Anything was better than being stuck inside all day. A herd of antelope watched them pass warily, and a flock of birds took wing at their approach.

"I don't see my dad," Sam said, from the top lip of the Gorge. He followed Azazel carefully down the rocky slope into the canyon.

"I'm sure he's just running a little late," Azazel replied. "He is the king. There are many duties he has to see to."

"Can you at least tell me what he wants?" Sam asked. Most of his concentration was on climbing down the steep rock wall, but he was a little worried that maybe he was in trouble again.

"I was under the impression that he had a surprise for you," Azazel replied.

Sam perked up. "Wow! Really?" His father had never given him a surprise before. It was all very exciting.

"Indeed," Azazel confirmed.

"What kind of surprise?" Sam asked.

Azazel laughed silkily. "Obviously I can't tell you that," he said. "It wouldn't be a surprise if you knew what to expect."

Sam sighed disappointedly. "Well, alright," he conceded.

He jumped the last few feet into the bottom of the Gorge and looked around curiously. He wasn't usually allowed down here. It wasn't really that interesting though. Just hot and isolated, with a few sparse trees that were withering away in the heat.

"I still don't see him," Sam said, sounding a little worried. "I hope he's okay."

"He is," Azazel replied shortly. "He's just late. But I'll go and get him, just in case."

Sam began to follow, but Azazel chased him back. "You wait here, Sam," he said firmly. "We don't want another incident like that one with the hyenas."

Sam grimaced. "You know about that?"

"Of course I do," Azazel replied. "Sam, everybody knows. It was just lucky that Daddy was there to protect you, wasn't it? Oh," Azazel added, "and he told me about that little roar of yours. You may want to work on that, champ. It'd be embarrassing to be a King of Beasts who can't even roar properly."

He sniggered quietly to himself as he left, and Sam glared at his back. Azazel was being weird today. He wasn't usually so mean when he was teasing Sam.

"Little roar," Sam grumbled petulantly. He could roar just fine. He'd show Azazel. Someday, he'd have the greatest roar ever.

He roared then, just to prove it to himself. The sound was small and reedy; nothing like his father's deep bass. He huffed irately and tried again, but his voice cracked at the last minute, and the roar that came out this time was even weaker than the last.

Sam growled in frustration and planted his four paws determinedly against the ground. He sucked in a great breath, and roared as loud as he could. The sound ripped from his chest violently, leaving his throat strained. It echoed through the Gorge for several seconds.

Sam grinned to himself. He sat down on his rock, tired from all the effort, but feeling pretty satisfied.

Then the silence of the Gorge changed, filled with a sound that Sam didn't hear so much as he felt it. The ground under his feet was shaking.

Sam scented the air cautiously, but the only smell that was apparent to him was the hot, dry smell of the canyon wind. Whatever was making the sound was downwind from him.

He looked back nervously. The sound was growing louder, and Sam's ears flicked forward to catch it. It sounded like something big pounding against the ground. Sam's fur was standing on end in his unease.

There was a moment of apprehensive nothingness, and then the first of the wildebeest came into view, maybe a quarter of a mile down the Gorge. Tens, and then hundreds of wildebeest followed, their hoof beats sounding like rolling thunder.

Sam barely had time to run. He dashed ahead of the stampede for a few petrifying moments, and then the first wave of wildebeest hit him, and he was trying to dodge out of the way of thousands of hooves.

A small, dying tree near the center of the Gorge seemed to be his only chance at safety, and Sam ducked under it and climbed up as quickly as he could, his nails snagging painfully in the decaying bark. The tree swayed brutally under the onslaught of wildebeest rushing by. It probably wouldn't hold for long.

"Sam!"

Bobby flapped into view, and Sam had never been so glad to see him. He darted back and forth in the air, helplessly.

"Bobby!" Sam cried desperately. His claws weren't meant for climbing, and he didn't know how much longer he could hang on. "Help!"

"You're dad's coming!" Bobby yelled over the clamor of hooves. "Hold on!"

"Hurry!" Sam shouted, but Bobby was already flying away.

Sam's nails dragged through the bark, and he slipped a few precious inches. He tried to pull his hind legs up, so they wouldn't get caught by a wildebeest's horns. He tried to search the stampeding herd for signs of his father, but he couldn't see anything but a dark gray mass, surrounded by flying dirt and mayhem.

Sam slipped a little more, and his heart raced in his throat. If he fell, he'd die.

"Sam!" a voice called, and even hanging by his nails above certain death, Sam recognized the voice of his father.

"Dad!" Sam screamed. Before he could find his father in the chaos, there was a _crack_ and a jerk, and Sam found himself sailing through the air, a rush of charging wildebeest at the end of his fall.

Gravity shifted suddenly, and he felt teeth bruising his ribs. His father landed in the center of the fray, holding Sam tightly in his mouth.

"Dad!" Sam cried in relief.

John wrenched out of the way of an oncoming wildebeest, and then slid closer to the wall of the Gorge. Wildebeest jostled by as he ran, but John held firm against them.

Finally he leapt, just catching a ledge in the stone wall with his forepaws. He lifted up just enough to deposit Sam to safety, and then let out a pained grunt and fell back into the stampede.

"No! _DAD!_" Sam shouted. He couldn't see John anywhere: No flash of gold fur or dark mane. But his father couldn't have fallen under the herd's hooves. It wasn't possible, his dad was too good.

A determined roar split the thunder of hooves and John leapt out of the sea of wildebeest again, catching another ledge farther upwind from Sam's place above the stampede. He scrabbled against the wall for purchase, climbing slowly, while Sam crouched nervously and watched, hardly even daring to breathe.

John slipped on some loose rocks and slid down, and Sam whined anxiously. He had to help somehow—maybe if he could find someone nearby—maybe Bobby had gone for help…

Sam picked his way up the side of the Gorge. There wasn't a clear path up from where he was, but there was always _some_ way. He was a big cat. Big cats didn't get stuck anywhere. He stumbled, and nearly fell once, but caught onto a large, jutting stone and hoisted himself back up. He was nearly at the top when John yelled.

Sam spun, just in time to see John's enormous form fall from high up the Gorge's side.

"_NO_!" Sam screamed. "_Dad!_"

John disappeared into the stampede again, and Sam started right back down the trail he'd been picking out of the rocky canyon walls. There was no sign of John reemerging from the rush of wildebeest below, and as Sam made his way back down into the Gorge, the stampede began to dwindle. Sam searched the canyon floor for any trace of his father, but he could hardly see anything through all the dust the wildebeest had kicked up in their flight.

Sam jumped again into the Gorge, landing roughly on all four feet. The air down here was gritty with sand and dirt, and Sam sneezed once against his will.

"Dad!" he cried. But there was only silence.

"Dad!" he called again. "Dad, where are you?" He shifted slowly and painfully out of his lion form and rubbed dust out of his eyes with human hands.

"Dad?" he repeated.

A figure lay a few yards ahead; a figure with a familiar mane.

"Dad," Sam croaked. He ran the last few feet and knelt at his father's side. He threaded his fingers through the older lion's coarse mane and tugged at it gently.

"Get up," he said. He pulled harder. "Dad, _wake up_."

But with his human form came cold logic. His father's eyes were slitted, and his tongue poked limply from his muzzle. His chest was still.

"Dad," Sam sobbed quietly, helplessly.

John didn't move, and Sam knew—_knew_ that he would never move again.

Sam bent over his father's body and cried into the soft fur on his father's cheek. What was he supposed to do? He had to go back to Pride Rock, but he couldn't just _leave_ John out in the sun, where the vultures might come for him.

Sam's head jerked up at the sound of a muffled growl. Azazel's dark form approached, staring at him carefully. His eyes were lamp-like in the gloom.

Azazel looked down at his brother's broken body and shifted form.

"Sam," he said, "what have you done?"

"I…I didn't do anything," Sam insisted weakly. "It was an accident. There was a stampede… He was just trying to save me, I didn't mean for it to happen."

Azazel shushed him soothingly. "Of course you didn't," he said, patting Sam's shoulder slowly. "Of course you didn't. But the king _is_ dead. And now you have gained the crown because of it. You can see how it looks." He tightened his grip. "What will your mother think?"

"I wouldn't… I didn't…" Sam stammered. "How do I tell them…? What do I do?" he asked frantically. He wasn't a murderer, and he couldn't let anyone think he was. He wouldn't be able to stand it if he lost his mother on the same day that he lost his father.

"There's only one think you can do," Azazel replied. "You have to run away. Run away, and never return."

"Never…" Sam repeated faintly.

"It's the only way," Azazel insisted. "If the pride realizes what you've done, you'll be killed. You have to run Sam. You can never come back."

Sam swallowed dryly and nodded.

Azazel pushed him back from John. "_Go!"_ he urged.

Sam stumbled away blankly, staring at Azazel, and at the body of his father. He slowly found himself gaining speed, his feet hammering harshly against rough sand. Soon he was running, as fast as his human legs could take him, tears stinging again in his eyes.

He could never return to Pride Rock, could never see his mother or Bobby or Gabriel again. The thought made him stop, and he almost gave into the crippling urge to turn back home and beg for forgiveness. He would have gone back, except for the snarl that had him backing away rapidly. Three hyenas had appeared in the Gorge, and their eyes were shining excitedly as they approached.

Sam threw a stone at one of them, and it landed on the creature's shoulder. The hyena yelped, and Sam turned to run again.

The hyenas gave chase, and Sam pushed himself faster. He crawled hurriedly up the rocky slope at the far end of the Gorge. As he was pulling himself up he felt claws sink into his ankle and he cried out. He kicked out with his uninjured foot, and felt bone thud against bone. He climbed up the side of the Gorge, and looked down to see the hyenas pacing below him. They wouldn't be able to climb out as easily as he had.

One hyena snarled, and the other two split up, stalking off in different direction. The lead hyena looked up at him with dark eyes and made a deep, angry sound.

Sam pushed himself to go faster, in case the hyenas found some way up. The hill on the other side of the Gorge was steep, and Sam's injured foot staggered on the harsh terrain, and Sam fell for what felt like hours. He landed agonizingly into a thicket of thorny bushes that cut at his sensitive human skin, but he forced himself to get up and push through them, until he reached flat, dry ground. Despite his injuries, he kept running, and he didn't look back.


	5. Chapter 5

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: The usual. _**

**_Disclaimer: Not mine. Yet. Mwahaha...ahem._**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Five<em>

* * *

><p>The desert heat was harsh, but Sam ran until his legs were trembling beneath him. His injured foot throbbed with a deep, blunt pain that probably signaled infection, and his scrapes from the thorn bushes were still bleeding sluggishly. He could feel his strength leaving him, and he began to think dreamily of the cool shade of the den at Pride Rock, and the cool water at the watering hole. He wondered if his mother was missing him yet, or if Azazel had told her what he'd done.<p>

He began to falter with nearly every step. Instinctively, his body tried to shift into a more durable form, but Sam didn't have the concentration to help the process along. His claws had burst painfully through his nail beds, and fur had sprouted in sickly patches, but he shifted no further, no matter how hard he tried.

His father was dead. With every step, the bruising around his ribs reminded him that the disaster at the Gorge had been more than just a dream, as it now felt. John Winchester was dead, and it was Sam's fault. The thought made him want to lie down in the middle of the desert and wait for the pride to find him. Surely they'd be searching for him. He was a murderer. He'd killed his own father.

Eventually, he noticed shadows criss-crossing the sand around him. He looked up, squinting against the sun's glare, and spotted the dark silhouettes of vultures circling above. It should have disturbed Sam more than it did. He pushed on slowly, and every step felt as if it was being taken through molasses.

Finally he realized that he had no idea where he was going. The desert stretched on in front of him, but he had no place out there that would welcome him. His only home was behind him, and going back was no longer an option. And so he pressed on aimlessly, his lips chapped and his skin turning pink in the sun.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd had anything to eat or drink. It might have been just that morning that his mother had taken him down to the watering hole for a drink of water, or it might have been years ago. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the desert. It couldn't have been more than a day. Or maybe two? He laughed to himself. He couldn't remember. Maybe he wasn't out here at all—maybe this was a dream. He hoped it was a dream.

Smiling privately, he sat down in the dirt, until tears fell from his eyes. He gasped for breath, but he couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying. His lungs felt too tight in his chest, and the desert air felt too hot in his throat. Dark spots danced in front of his eyes, and he thought that they were the vultures, until he realized he was staring down at his own feet. He looked up at the vultures to make sure they were still there, and then he felt a rush of warmth in his head. He was falling, he thought, but he only barely registered hitting the ground.

* * *

><p>His dad was dangling off the end of Pride Rock, but he was laughing about it, shaking his thick mane like it was all a big joke. Sam, wearing a crown of elephant bones and thorns, did not laugh as he reached out and pushed his father to his death. He never saw John hit the ground, but there was blood on Sam's large paws, and he knew his father was gone. His mane had grown in as black as Azazel's, and he shook it proudly like he'd seen his father do. His uncle was sitting at his side on Pride Rock, whispering encouragement into his ear.<p>

Sam turned to look for his mother, but Pride Rock was dark and silent. Hundreds of glowing eyes stared out from the shadows of the den.

It began to rain, coldly and dismally.

"Sammy…" Gabriel said, laughing lightly.

Sam looked up into the rain clouds, and water hit his upturned face.

Sam coughed, and felt a warm tingle go down his body. Water hit his face again, and he blinked his eyes open.

"So you _are_ alive," a small, female voice exclaimed wryly.

Sam wasn't at Pride Rock anymore, but in the jungle. He'd never seen it before, but he wasn't surprised to be there. He looked up at the green canopy of leaves above him, curiously. He'd never seen so much of the color _green_ before.

"Where am I?" he croaked. There was a small, clear pool of water beside him, and his reflection stared up from it. His fur was dirt-streaked and his whiskers were bent in odd directions, but he had no mane of darkness or crown of thorns on his head. He tried to remember when he'd shifted out of his human skin, but couldn't.

"…we found you out in the desert," a voice was saying. "You were nearly buzzard food, but I saved you."

There was an offended snort.

"Alright, _we_ saved you."

Sam stared incredulously. There was a meerkat and a warthog standing in front of him. He was obviously still dreaming.

"I'm Jo," the meerkat said. "This is Ash."

The warthog nodded earnestly.

"Um…" Sam blinked at the two of them. "I'm Sam," he replied warily. His voice was dry and weak.

"You need water," Jo said.

Sam's stomach growled.

"And food," she added.

How could Sam eat? His father was—

Actually, he was really hungry. It hit him that he couldn't feel the same terrible guilt that he'd been feeling in the desert. It was still _there_, but it felt numbed down, like a mournful ache at the back of his throat. The mind of a lion just didn't feel guilt like a human mind did.

"I _am_ starving," Sam admitted wondrously. "I feel like I could eat a whole zebra."

Jo cringed. "Um… sorry, but no zebra here."

"Hippo?" Sam asked hopefully. Hippo was a rare treat back home, but it was probably his favorite.

"Nope."

"How about wilde—" He balked, a flash of stampeding hooves going through his mind. "Antelope?" he amended.

"Yeesh, _no_, kid," Jo said. "If you want to eat _with_ us, you have to eat _like_ us."

Sam looked around the jungle clearing skeptically. There was nothing but trees and moss to be seen. "And what _do_ you eat?" he asked.

Jo smiled smugly. "Ash," she said to the warthog, "if you would be so kind." She gestured extravagantly to an old, rotted log.

"With pleasure," Ash replied pompously. He wiggled his tail a bit, and then bent, working his sharp tusks under the log expertly, and lifted it up.

The dirt under the log was moist and crawling with bugs. Jo sauntered over as Ash hefted the log to one side. She stood over the bugs, and was completely still for a moment, before she darted forward, capturing a beetle in two tiny paws and bringing it to her mouth.

Sam retched. "You've got to be joking," he said. "I'm not eating _bugs_." It seemed so unhygienic.

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it," she said seriously. "Right Ash?"

Ash pushed his nose into the soil, snuffling up all manner of insects. "Delicious," he agreed, voice muffled by dirt and dinner.

"Here," Jo said. She pushed a long, ugly worm towards Sam expectantly.

Sam looked down at it disdainfully. "I'm not eating _a worm_," he said.

Jo just shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, if you're hungry, you eat what you can." She went back to bug hunting.

Sam thought about pointing out that he _could_ just eat _her_, but it seemed a bit rude, considering that she's saved his life.

He looked down at the worm queasily. It was squirming in the dirt, and looked neither appetizing nor filling. He glanced around. There didn't seem to be any other options. Sam hadn't even seen any other animals, other than Ash and Jo. Besides that, he didn't know how to hunt. And he really _was_ starving.

Closing his eyes, he scooped the worm up in one paw and ate it as quickly as he could. If he didn't think about what he was eating…

"See, there you go!" Jo said. "You're one of us already."

Sam sat nervously in place, waiting to get uncontrollably sick.

Now that it was over, though, maybe he could admit that it hadn't been too bad. Certainly it hadn't tasted like anything Sam had ever had before.

Jo passed him another bug, a mantis this time, and Sam ate it dutifully.

"So, where you from, kid?" Ash asked.

Sam's ears flattened defensively. "Doesn't really matter," he said, after some consideration. "I can never go back."

"Ah. You're an outcast," Jo said wisely. "So are we. Some of us just aren't cut out for this _Circle of Life_ lifestyle, y'know? But you can't let that get you down. That's why Ash and I came out here. _Hakuna Matata."_

"Bless you," Sam replied automatically.

"No," Jo said, with an amused glare. "_Hakuna Matata."_

"It means _no worries_," Ash said helpfully.

"No worries," Sam echoed, feeling slightly envious. "I wish it was that easy."

Jo lounged back against a mossy tree root and stretched luxuriously. "It is. When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world. That's _Hakuna Matata_."

"But you can't run forever," Sam pointed out kindly.

"Says _who?"_ Jo demanded sharply. "My mother? The _Lion_ King? Me 'n' Ash have been here for years, and no worries have ever found us. And you—you're a lion. Top of the food chain. Nobody can tell you what to do, right?"

"Uh, right," Sam agreed uncertainly. "But—"

Jo interrupted him. "So, can all you lions turn into those big bald, two-legged things?" She was grooming now, with one paw.

"A human?" Sam offered uneasily. "Sure, but—"

Jo shivered. "Why, though?" she asked. "Those things give me the creeps. No fur, and with those weird-looking noses…"

"Jo," Ash said reproachfully, looking nervously at Sam.

"Right," Jo said, casting Sam a sheepish glance. "No offense."

"Oh…it's alright," Sam said awkwardly. "I guess we are a bit…strange."

"Well," said Jo, pushing onto her feet, "why don't we give you the grand tour? You seem pretty decent, so I guess you could stay here for a little while."

She scampered up onto Ash's back and pulled on his ears. Ash snorted, rolling his eyes, but trotted off, leading Sam into the depths of the jungle.

"Just for a little while, though," Jo said, as night fell over the jungle peacefully.


	6. Chapter 6

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: As stated in chapter one, which is where you should have started reading from. I see you trying to read ahead..._**

**_Disclaimer: Let me explain-the writers at Disney and Supernatural write the storyline, and I take their story and twist it to appease my own warped mind-and so we are all connected, in the great Circle of Fanfiction. (What I'm trying to say is this: it's not mine)_**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Six<em>

* * *

><p><em>Four Years Later<em>

"Gotchya!" Sam exclaimed triumphantly.

Jo shouted in surprise as the grabbed her and lifted her by the tail. "Would you grow up, you overgrown—"

He chuckled and padded deliberately towards the clear pool of their usual clearing. She writhed frantically in his grasp, trying to free herself.

"—Sam, don't you dare. I just got—"

He tossed her into the water, and she gasped indignantly as she surfaced.

"—dry," she muttered angrily. "I'm going to _kill_ you, Sam. Get your furry butt over here."

Sam dropped his front legs playfully to the ground and shook his mane, the picture of a big cat that was quite pleased with itself. "Yeah, alright _mom_," he retorted.

Jo gasped, offended. "I'm gonna cut your mane off while you sleep," she threatened, as she pulled herself back onto land. "_Get him Ash!" _she shouted suddenly.

"What?" Sam asked, and he didn't get a chance to brace himself for the warthog's push. He tumbled into the water with a huge splash. When he came up, he was laughing delightedly as he paddled back to shore.

The years in the jungle had been pretty good to Sam, despite living mostly on a diet of bugs. His mane had come in long and healthy, and he was strong enough to fend off the occasional leopard that came to call. Besides that, he was happy. Living with Ash and Jo was perhaps the easiest way of life in the world.

He shook the water out of his fur, and Jo made a noise of disgust.

"I'm getting to old to be playing these games," she complained, but Sam knew she didn't mean it. Ash laughed gleefully at her expense, and she glared at him.

Sam's stomach rumbled loudly. "What's for dinner?" he asked idly. He could probably go for another nap, as well.

"There are a few places we haven't hit in a while," Jo replied. "I'm sure we could rustle something up."

* * *

><p>Sam sighed. He was pleasantly full, which meant that Jo and Ash were probably stuffed. The grass underneath him was soft, but it tickled his nose. He yawned enormously.<p>

"Man, I ate like a pig," Ash quipped, an old joke that wasn't funny anymore, but still made Sam snort with amusement.

"Beautiful night," he commented a few minutes later, drowsily. There was little wind, and what wind there was was warm.

"Yeah," Jo agreed contentedly. "Night's like these make life perfect, you know?"

Ash hummed in agreement, but Sam hesitated. Life was probably was good as it would ever get, but it wasn't perfect. In still moments like these, he found himself missing the smell of his mother, and the warm weight of Gabriel sleeping beside him. He thought about them both more and more lately. Most of all he missed his father, and the safety he'd felt by his side.

He looked longingly up at the stars, and remembered how his father's voice had sounded that last night, under this same night sky. _I will always be with you,_ he'd said, but it had been a lie. Sam hadn't felt his father's presence in a very long time.

Sam brought his gaze back to earth, feeling unnervingly hot and itchy.

Ash was snoring loudly, kicking in his sleep, and Jo was curled at his side, muttering faintly. They were Sam's family now, and Sam sighed, calming himself. He closed his eyes.

"_How could you Sam?"_

Sam startled out of sleep, and looked around. He'd heard a voice.

He listened carefully for it, but there was nothing but cricket song and wind in the trees.

Thoughtfully, Sam put his head back down, and closed his eyes again.

His father was coming through the meadow towards him. He looked deeply sad, and looked at Sam with regret.

"_You have forgotten me, Sam,"_ he said.

Sam didn't remember the beginning of the conversation, but he felt appropriately shamed under his father's disapproving gaze.

"_I…I didn't,"_ Sam protested feebly. "_I would never…"_

"_Who are you?"_

It wasn't his father's voice that had asked, but he was the only one around.

"_I…I don't…"_ Sam stuttered…

…and woke.

He was panting as though he'd been running for miles. Jo and Ash were still sleeping, and the starts were still silent above him.

He huffed an annoyed breath, sending dust scattering out into the air for a gentle breeze to pick up and whisk away. He put his head down on his paws, but remained awake for a good many hours more.

* * *

><p>"You sleep too much," Jo had said, but had left with Ash nonetheless, and Sam had gone back to napping.<p>

He was comfortably warm in the jungle shade, and his dreams were light and pointless. It was shaping up to be a good nap, when he heard a cry in the distance.

Sam raised his head, ears forward curiously.

"_Sam!_" he heard Jo's voice cry, in the distance.

He rose, alarmed. Jo had only called for him for help twice in the four years that Sam had lived with them. Once, when the leopard had attacked, and again, when Ash had been mired in a rather stubborn mud hole.

He crashed through the jungle foliage in the direction of Jo's voice. She and Ash had been going to look for bugs, and she'd said that they'd be by the waterfalls if he needed them.

He leaped over a fallen tree, and followed Ash's heavy scent on the air. When he found them he saw the dilemma immediately. Ash was stuck, wedged under a raised tree root, and there was a lioness, about to go for the kill.

"_Sam!_" Jo yelled again, but it was drowned out by Sam's angry roar, and he leapt over Ash and Jo to block the lioness's path. She seemed surprised by his arrival, but only for a split second, and she met his attack seamlessly, head-on.

"Yeah!" Jo cheered, as Sam snarled and batted unsheathed claws at the lioness's face. She dodged, and then swiped back. Her claws tore through the mane between Sam's ears, which took most of the damage, but left Sam's head ringing.

"Get her, Sam!" Jo shouted. "Rip her face off!"

Sam became suddenly and acutely aware of how little he knew about fighting, as the lioness backed him into a tree and he was forced to take a hit across the face just to escape.

"C'mon, Sam, _go for the jugular!_" Jo cried anxiously.

Sam jumped, hoping to knock the lioness off balance, but she sprang in the same instance. They collided, then tumbled to the ground and rolled—him over her, her over him—again and again. Sam fought to pin her, but she was deceptively strong and she flipped them once more, pinning him to the dirt.

Her canines were bared in his face, but she hesitated, grunting from exertion. Something about the situation felt startlingly familiar.

Without thinking, Sam said, "Gabriel?"


	7. Chapter 7

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: They're in chapter one, and they miss you. Go drop by and say hi if you're so inclined._**

**_Disclaimer: Still not mine._**

**_A/N II: Writers Who Talk Too Much : I have "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" stuck in my head. Jee, I wonder why. Elton John can rock it._**

**_Disclaimer of A/N: I am in no way affiliated with Elton John, nor any songs he may have written for the Lion King soundtrack._**

**_A/N III: The Sequel No One Wanted : Yeah, now I'm just being ridiculous. Sorry._**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Seven<em>

* * *

><p>The lioness's ears lifted forward, then flicked back warily. She—he, if it really was Gabriel—stepped back, eyeing Sam suspiciously.<p>

Sam rolled onto his side and sat up. "Gabe? Is that really you?" he asked, and pushed himself to his feet.

"How do you know my name?" Gabriel demanded. His eyes were just like Sam remembered them.

He took a step forward, and Gabriel snarled, crouching defensively again.

"Who are you?" he asked harshly.

Sam had a small second of déjà vu. "It's Sam," he said gently.

Gabriel rose tentatively. His eyes widened, and he looked Sam over speculatively. "Sam?" he echoed. "_My_ Sam?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. It's me."

Gabriel's head tilted to the side, contemplating. Then he laughed, and he sounded so…relieved, so joyful, that Sam nearly cried. He tackled Sam right back to the ground and stared at him, grinning.

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed excitedly. "How…how are you even alive?"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked. Gabriel just looked at him strangely.

"_Excuse me,_ hi," Jo said, sounding deeply affronted. "Just how exactly do you know Mrs. Growly-Face here?"

Sam looked up at Jo. She was standing over his head, scowling. He laughed. "Jo, this is Gabriel. He's my best friend!"

Jo gave them both a withering look. "I don't know if you've noticed," she said, "but _he_ is a _she. _And _she _is trying to eat _me!"_

Gabriel finally stepped off of Sam and sat, looking down his nose at Jo. "I'm a cross-gender shifter," he said at last.

"A _who-sie what-ie_?" Jo said skeptically.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I'm a dude in a lioness's body. It's a rare condition, but it runs in my family—"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Jo said, "whatever you say, lady. Look, no offense, but you can't stay. You tried to eat me."

"I tried to eat him," Gabriel corrected matter-of-factly, with a nod towards Ash. "And he's not making a fuss."

Ash hurried over, fairly cheery in the face of his hunter. "Pleased to meet you ma'am," he said. "I'm Ash. Please don't eat me."

"Nobody's going to eat anybody," Sam said firmly, but he still glanced anxiously at Gabriel. "Right?"

Gabriel sighed. "I guess I can't now, knowing his _name_." Then he looked at Sam wondrously. "And now that I've found you, my hunt can wait. Sam, everybody thought you were _dead_."

"They did?" Sam asked.

"_Yes._ Azazel told us about the stampede," Gabriel explained.

"Oh," Sam said nervously. "What else did he say?"

"Who cares?" Gabriel replied giddily. "You're _alive_. And that makes you the _king._"

"_King?" _Jo sputtered. "Are you _insane? _Sam's no king. Right, Sam?"

"Right," Sam agreed readily.

"Sam!" Gabriel exclaimed.

Sam bristled at the scolding note in his tone. _"I'm not the king," _he insisted. "Maybe I was supposed to be, but that's not who I am anymore."

"Wait, _what?"_ Jo squawked. "You're a king? And you didn't say anything?"

"_You're Majesty!"_ Ash said, bowing excessively.

"Quit it," Sam snapped. "I'm not a king. I told you."

"Sam," Gabriel said imploringly. He stopped short and glanced impatiently at Jo and Ash, who were bickering noisily about groveling.

"Look," he said to them, "could we maybe get a minute alone?"

Jo scoffed. "If you think for one _second—_"

"Jo," Sam sighed. "Maybe you should go."

She deflated, looking scandalized. "But—"

"Just for a little while," Sam promised, "so Gabe and I can catch up."

She gave Gabriel a look of upmost loathing, then climbed onto Ash's back.

"Fine," she muttered. "After everything we did for you…But no, _no,_ I get it…"

She rode Ash into the underbrush. Gabriel watched them go, not bothering to hide his amusement.

"Odd little creatures," he noted.

Sam laughed uneasily. "Well, they're my best friends."

"I was your best friend," Gabriel said softly. "But I guess that was a long time ago."

"Gabe—"

"I've missed you," Gabriel said. He tucked his head under Sam's chin and leaned there. "You have no idea how much."

"I do," Sam insisted reassuringly. He pulled back to look at Gabriel intently. "I've missed you too."

Gabriel wouldn't meet his eyes. "It's not the same. This…it's like you're back from the dead."

Sam bumped his head against Gabriel's neck gently. "I'm fine Gabe. Really."

Gabriel turned his face into Sam's thick mane. "You've been gone so long…" he said, then said no more.

"C'mon," Sam said, eager to break the long silence. "I want to show you something."

* * *

><p>The waterfalls were at their best at night, when only the steady crash of water could be heard, and the night air was still warm from the day. Sam watched Gabriel's face light up with awe when he saw them—four waterfalls, throwing themselves side-by-side over the rocky overhang above.<p>

It was a beautiful sight, but Sam hadn't taken the time to appreciate it in a long time. He led Gabriel silently around to the path down to the water's edge, and let Gabriel take the lead. He bounded expertly from one boulder to another, and Sam followed his steps exactly.

Gabriel looked back at Sam, smiling, and followed the path as they wound their way behind the falls. Sam was always just one pace behind. He didn't want to crowd Gabriel, but he couldn't help but want to touch him again. It'd been so long, and Sam hadn't realized just how much he'd missed the lioness until tonight.

The evening was peaceful, and Sam was content to just watch Gabriel explore Sam's new home. Sam was surprised by how much he wanted Gabriel to like it. He was surprised by just how badly he wanted Gabriel to want to stay here with Sam forever; to begin a pride of their own right here in the jungle, where nothing could bother them.

"Sam, this place is…amazing," Gabriel said passionately.

"I know," Sam replied, happy in his realizations and in Gabriel's company. "But there's so much more to see." He crouched low, playfully. "If you can keep up," he challenged.

Gabriel laughed behind him as he sprang away, feeling light-hearted. He heard Gabriel racing behind him, gaining easily. He'd made it to the tree line, just feet from the meadow beyond, when Gabriel pounced onto his back. He closed his teeth gently around the back of Sam's neck, growling triumphantly. Sam stumbled under his weight, and then things devolved quickly into one of the Pinning games that they'd been so fond of as cubs.

They tripped somewhere in the middle of the game, and toppled down the sloping hill just at the edge of the dense jungle. It wasn't a horribly steep hill, but they gained momentum fairly quickly, and Sam landed heavily on Gabriel at the bottom.

They were both laughing, and Sam shook his mane out of his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, giggling a bit.

Gabriel smiled, and shifted right before Sam's eyes, becoming smaller, an older version of the human face he'd known in childhood. His hair had grown longer, and he'd matured visibly, but it was still Gabriel. He watched Sam quietly, expectantly.

Sam hesitated nervously. He hadn't been in his human form since the day he came through the desert and to this place—the day his father had died. Sometimes, out here, Sam forgot he could even be anything _but_ an animal, and he'd liked it that way.

Gabriel frowned, and tangled one hand in Sam's mane.

"Sammy?" he whispered, self-consciously.

Sam closed his eyes, gathering his concentration as best he could. He shifted, for the first time in years. It took him longer than it ever had before, and it felt as if someone was putting his whole body through a strainer, separating out parts of him that he'd grown used to. He flexed his human fingers in the grass, reveling in the new sensation of _fingers_. When he was done he was shivering. He felt weak, vulnerable like this.

Gabriel looked worried, and Sam felt a rush of shame at how long he must have kept Gabe waiting.

"I'm sorry," he tried to explain. His human voice was insubstantial and unfamiliar to him. "I haven't…"

Gabriel's hand stroked Sam's hair back, experimentally, and his eyes roved over his face keenly. Just as Sam hadn't seen Gabriel's human face in years, Gabriel hadn't seen Sam's. He stared at Sam for a long time, and his hand explored the width of Sam's shoulders. The feel of skin on skin was overwhelming to Sam—he hadn't felt human contact in so long…

Gabriel's hand moved up again, to the back of Sam's neck. He pushed gently at Sam's nape, and brought Sam down to kiss him, a bare press of lips on lips.

Sam whined, his heart catching for a second and then stuttering into overtime. His fingers curled into the grass, and he deepened the kiss, bringing tongues and teeth into play. Gabriel followed his lead without question. His other hand wrapped over Sam's shoulder, and his nails dug into Sam's back like an anchor.

They parted, both breathless, but Gabriel still had it in him to whisper, "I love you," against Sam's lips.

_Yes_, Sam thought. This was right. This was what was always meant to happen, even in a perfect world where Sam's father hadn't died and Sam and Gabriel had had years of friendship between them before actually _finding_ each other.

"I love you too," Sam said with a quick, breathless laugh, and he buried his nose into the side of Gabriel's neck, and _this_—this was perfect.

* * *

><p><em>Eh...Love scenes. I'm not good at them. I hope it wasn't too unbearable.<em>


	8. Chapter 8

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: Chapter one. I'm telling you, it's a great tourist spot. Check it out._**

**_Disclaimer: Not mine._**

**_A/N: I have no clever, annoying rant for you today. Sorry. Or maybe...you're welcome?_**

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight<p>

* * *

><p>Sam was uncomfortable in his human skin. Everything looked different—felt different—than what he was used to. The wind was cooler on his skin, and carried fewer interesting smells. The night was darker and more dangerous. Sam didn't have his claws or his jaws to protect him, and there was no thick mane between the world and his vulnerable throat. The only thing that was comfortable was Gabriel's hand wrapped around Sam's wrist. The lioness was uncharacteristically quiet at Sam's side.<p>

"Isn't it great here?" Sam asked cheerfully, trying to bring forth a smile, or maybe even just a sigh. Any sign that Gabriel was actually alive at his side.

"It's great," Gabriel agreed, but he dropped Sam's hand and drew away.

Sam's brow furrowed in concern. "What's wrong?" Sam asked.

Gabriel sighed, and Sam changed his mind. He didn't want to hear Gabriel sigh like that.

"You've been here all this time," Gabriel said. "There was nothing keeping you from coming home, but you didn't. You abandoned us."

Sam frowned. "I didn't—"

"You did," Gabriel said. "We thought that you were _dead_. Your mother…she lost everything. And Azazel took over the Pridelands and let the hyenas in and it ruined _everything_. The herds have all gone, there's no water…If nobody does something, the pride will die."

Sam said, haltingly, "I didn't—"

"What?" Gabriel demanded. "You didn't think anyone would _notice_ if you just ran off to live in a jungle with a pig and a ferret?"

"If you'd just let me finish a _sentence…_" Sam replied. "I didn't go out that morning thinking I was going to leave, okay? I _had to,_ I didn't have a choice.

Gabriel snorted distrustfully. "Why?" he asked.

It was the one truth that Sam couldn't tell. He'd tell Gabriel anything at all—anything but that. He looked away from Gabriel's accusing eyes.

"Does it really matter?" Sam asked. "It's in the past."

"Of course it _matters!_" Gabriel persisted. "I thought that I was your best friend! I thought you'd have my back, remember? But then you turned your back on all of us."

Sam reached for Gabriel's hand pleadingly. "I know, and I'm sorry for that, Gabe, I am. But I'm here now, okay? We're finally together again, and I'll fix all of that. I'll never leave you again."

"You can't just _fix it_, Sam," Gabriel replied impatiently.

"I can," Sam insisted fervently. If he could just make Gabriel _see_ how good it could be now. "It'll be great here. There's room for both of us—and…and more, if you...if you wanted…"

Gabriel squinted at Sam, unmistakably disappointed, and jerked out of his grip.

"No," he said. "I'm not staying here with you. This isn't my home. This isn't _your _home. _Pride Rock_ is where we belong, Sam."

"I told you, I _can't go back there,"_ Sam growled heatedly.

"_Why not?"_ Gabriel yelled. "_What_…_what_ is keeping you here?"

Sam shrugged defensively, casting his eyes to the side. "You wouldn't understand," he said quietly.

"I would if you'd actually _tell _me," Gabriel retorted.

"No," Sam said, forcefully. He finally brought himself to meet Gabriel's eyes. "You wouldn't."

Gabriel's expression darkened, and he laughed bitterly. "I guess not," he agreed. He ran an aggravated hand through his hair. "There is nothing in the world that would keep me from going back to my family, especially if they needed me."

Sam glowered angrily at his feet. Stupid, _human_ feet. The night had been going so well, and then Gabriel had had to just start picking at things. He didn't understand Sam like he had when they were kids. He didn't understand _Hakuna Matata._

Gabriel sighed shakily. "I never should have come here," he said darkly. "At least…at least when I thought you were dead I didn't have to know you were just a selfish brat. I came out here looking for _help,_ but I'll find some way to fix it myself."

Sam huffed angrily. "Yeah, well, sorry to disappoint you."

Gabriel shook his head silently, and then turned away.

"Fine," Sam growled at Gabriel's back. He stalked off into the jungle, muttering furiously to himself. He didn't care what Gabriel did anymore. He wished that he'd never found Sam out here in the first place.

* * *

><p>Sam let himself fade back into his lion form, defiantly. This was who he was—a lion, and a lion only. He wasn't a king, not even a Pridelander anymore. He'd made a life of his own for himself, and if Gabriel couldn't accept it then he could just…<p>

Who was he to tell Sam how to live his life, anyway? He didn't know Sam anymore. Returning to Pride Rock would be pointless. Sam had nothing to prove to anyone. He was happy without the responsibility of ruling a kingdom. He wouldn't be any good at it, after all these years away.

"King," Sam scoffed, sitting down heavily beside a small pond of water.

There was a rattling of leaves in the trees above him, and Sam looked up, wary of leopards. It was just a baboon, though, and she began chanting a mindless song as she climbed through the branches.

Sam sighed in annoyance. Five minutes of peace, that was all he asked, but no…

He got up and moved upwind, only to hear the baboon following behind him. She was humming now, loudly. Like she was deliberately trying to irritate him.

He growled. "What do you want?"

She continued to hum as if she hadn't heard him.

"Who are you?" he demanded. His voice held no patience.

The baboon cocked her head, something like a smile playing at her lips. "Who are you?" she countered.

Sam faltered uncomfortably. She didn't seem remotely afraid of him. "Just…leave me alone," he said, but it didn't come out nearly as threatening as he'd hoped it to.

The baboon looked at him severely. "That's no way to talk to your elders, boy," she said. "Didn't your mother teach you manners?"

Sam snarled defensively. "Do I _know you?_" he asked.

"The question is, do you know yourself?" the baboon said tartly.

"I'm _Sam,_" Sam replied, with finality. He tried to turn and pace away, but the baboon grabbed his tail in her hand and yanked.

He yowled, sounding embarrassingly like a distraught cub. He snarled deeply at the baboon in an attempt to cover it up.

She seemed unfazed. "You're more than that, boy," she informed him. "You're John's baby."

Sam did a double take. He didn't recognize the baboon; in fact he'd never seen a baboon up close before, but…

"And I can only imagine what he'd think to see his heir wasting away in the jungle like a heathen."

_Great, _Sam thought. _More of this._

She still had a hold on his tail, and he thought about biting her hand. Apparently, though, he wasn't in the mood for it, and he didn't.

"I'm not the king," he explained painstakingly. Maybe if he said it slowly enough, someone would actually listen to him and _back off._

The baboon looked heartbroken. "You disrespect your father," she said.

Sam felt hot and ashamed and snapped, "I loved my father!"

"And yet you run from him," the baboon said.

"I'm not running from anyone," he denied.

"You run from who you are, and so you run from him."

Sam glared at the baboon half-heartedly. He was getting tired of having to justify himself. "It's not the same," he argued.

"Oh yes it is, Sam Winchester," the baboon said harshly. "Your father lives on through you. Running from yourself is exactly the same as running from him. Forgetting _who _you are is the same as forgetting him."

Sam was reminded suddenly of the dream he'd had a few days ago.

"_You have forgotten me." His father's eyes looking at him sadly. _

"I can't go back," he said softly. "You don't know what I've done. No one does. I don't know if I can even face it anymore. I've kept the past behind me for so long."

The baboon gave another painful yank to his tail. "Child, you keep talking like that and I'll smack you. You're the only one who can fix this mess you've gotten yourself into."

Sam thought about Gabriel's words, and echoed them to the baboon, "I can't just fix things."

"No," the baboon agreed. "It will take time, and hard work, and patience. You can't _just_ fix things, but you can fix them eventually. If you try."

And then, wonder of wonders, she let go of his tail. "Now, you answer old Missouri this: _Who are you?_"

"I'm…Sam," Sam said.

Missouri looked unimpressed.

"I'm the king," Sam admitted reluctantly. "John's son. His heir."

Missouri nodded in satisfaction.

"I have to go back, don't I?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Missouri said, with no hesitation.

Sam nodded, looking regretfully at the jungle that had been his home for so long.

"I should tell Gabriel that I'm going," he said.

"I'll take care of that," Missouri assured him. "You go. And don't ever come back here again."

Sam ran, the earth a calming presence beneath his feet, the sky stretching out above him.

For the first time in four years, Sam was going home.


	9. Chapter 9

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: Same as usual, with the addition of some potentially bad Spanish._**

**_Disclaimer: Not mine, I say._**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Nine<em>

* * *

><p>The journey was longer than Sam remembered it to be, and he ran the entire way. His lungs were burning, but his panting stopped when he finally saw Pride Rock in the distance.<p>

Everything was ruined.

The herds were gone. Gabriel hadn't been lying—nothing was as it was meant to be. The land looked sick. Whatever Azazel had done, it had turned the Pridelands into a wasteland.

"Sam!"

Gabriel jogged up beside him, and looked morosely over the desolation that had once been their home.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked dumbly. He'd left Missouri to tell Gabriel where he'd gone off to, but he hadn't expected Gabriel to follow. In hindsight, that'd probably been ignorant of him. Gabriel wasn't petty, and he wouldn't let one fight get in the way of fighting for his home.

Gabriel pressed his side against Sam's. "I've got your back, remember?" he asked cheekily.

Sam nuzzled his face as best he could. _Holding, _he decided. That's what human bodies were good for. Holding someone close to you.

"Alright, save the canoodling or I'm gonna puke," Jo said. Sam jumped at her voice. She and Ash were climbing laboriously up the hill behind them, both gasping for breath.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I would've been here sooner, but your _best friends_ aren't exactly made for cross-country trips."

"Hey, watch yourself, sister," Jo said.

"What are you two doing here?" Sam asked.

"I came to slap you for taking off without one lousy good-bye," Jo said.

"Besides," Ash added, "_tu casa es…_our…_casa."_

"That too," Jo grumbled grudgingly. "Though I didn't realize it'd be such a dump." She gestured at a nearby dying tree expressively.

"It isn't always like this," Sam told her. "I didn't realize Azazel had let this happen." This he said to Gabriel, sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

"You're here now," Gabriel replied. "That's what matters."

"So, what's the plan?" Jo asked. "There are hyenas out there, in case you haven't noticed."

"I have noticed," Sam replied. "And we're going to need a distraction." He looked pointedly at Jo.

"Oh, _thanks," _Jo said.

"You're the brains in this outfit," Ash reminded her.

Jo sighed. "Okay, point taken," she said. "But what about you guys?"

"Gabriel will rally the lionesses," Sam said, nodding at Gabriel.

Sam glared at the dark shape of Pride Rock in the distance. "I'll look for Azazel."

* * *

><p>"<em>Mary!" <em>

Azazel looked smaller and more wary than Sam had remembered. Sam crouched in the shadows of Pride Rock and watched his uncle with burning eyes. He had to give Gabriel time to assemble the pride.

His mother had also aged, but she was still just as beautiful as Sam remembered, and she held her head high as she addressed Azazel. Sam felt a deep longing to go to her. It'd been too long.

Rain clouds were gathering at the horizon. At the base of Pride Rock, he could see Gabriel watching him. The lioness nodded once. He was ready.

Azazel snarled suddenly, at some unheard offense. He struck Mary violently across the face with his claws unsheathed. She fell.

Sam saw red. He roared, just as the first bolt of lightning split the sky. He leapt from his hiding place in the shadows, and Azazel barely had time to turn and defend himself before Sam collided with him, biting furiously into his muzzle.

Azazel screamed and drew back, dripping blood from his snout. "John! How? I saw…you're dead."

Sam crouched between his mother and Azazel, keeping his head low to protect his throat. He bared his canines at Azazel viciously.

"You've mistaken me for someone else, Uncle Azazel," he growled. "I've grown. I think I'm big enough to defend myself now."

"Sam?" Azazel said, his eyes widening. He laughed gleefully. "Sammy-boy!"

Mary looked up at him with wide eyes. "Sam?" she said. She looked like she was seeing a ghost. "How can that be? I thought…"

"I know, Mom," Sam replied gently. "Azazel lied to you. It's me."

Mary got to her feet stiffly. The other lionesses were gathering with them, mixing in with the hyenas who'd been watching the entire time. Sam automatically sought out Gabriel, and found him beside Castiel. His face was tense, and he looked prepared for a fight. Sam was unwilling to let it come to that. This was between Azazel and him.

"I'm surprised to see you…alive," Azazel confessed carefully.

"Give me one reason not to rip you apart," Sam growled, advancing on his uncle angrily.

Azazel backed away cautiously. "Let's not be hasty, Sam. You must know that the pressures of ruling a kingdom—"

"Aren't yours anymore," Sam said grimly. "I've come to relieve you of them. Step down, Azazel."

Azazel laughed. "Sam, I'm sorry," he said, sounding anything but, "but I can't. The hyenas think that _I'm _the king."

"They're the only ones," Mary said, her voice tight with anger. "_Sam_ is the true king."

Azazel smiled scornfully. "Ah, but that's not completely accurate, is it Mary? Royal protocol usually states that the _first born_ son is a true heir."

Azazel must have been crazy—Sam didn't have a brother. "What are you talking about?" Sam asked guardedly.

"He's stalling," Gabriel said. "He doesn't want to give up the throne, even to the rightful king."

Sam snarled. "The choice is his. He can either step down or fight."

Azazel sighed. "Must this all end in violence?" he asked. He stepped out from between Sam and the den, circling towards the crowd they'd gathered. Sam allowed it for now. "I'd be dreadfully upset if I caused the death of a family member. Wouldn't you feel the same, Sam?"

"Shut up," Sam growled, baring his teeth. "It won't work. I've put it behind me."

"Of course, of course," Azazel said. "But what about your loyal subjects? Have they put it behind them?"

Mary frowned distrustfully and looked to Sam. "Sam, what's he talking about?"

"He's _stalling," _Gabriel said insistently.

"So you haven't _told_ them your little secret. That was foolish, Sam. You should have known that if you didn't tell them, I would."

"_Don't_," Sam said harshly.

"I'll give you one last chance," Azazel allowed. "One last chance for you to tell them who is responsible for John's death."

Lightning flashed through the sky again, briefly illuminating the darkening sky.

There was a hushed silence in its wake. Sam looked down at his paws, ashamed.

"…Sam?" Gabriel asked at length.

"I am," he said quietly.

"No," Gabriel said. "Sam, don't listen to him."

"It's the truth," Sam said. He looked pleadingly at his mother, but she was looking away, her eyes shadowed with sorrow. "It's why I ran away."

"And so the truth comes out," Azazel said smugly. "Little _Sammy_ killed his own father."

Lightning cracked through the sky again, this time deafeningly. It brought the smell of ozone with it as it struck, feet away from Pride Rock. Sam's fur was on end.

"It was an accident," he said desperately.

"If it weren't for you, John would still be alive," Azazel pointed out cruelly. "Do you deny it?"

"No, but—"

"Then you're guilty!"

"I'm not!" Sam protested. "Please, Mom—"

Azazel chuckled, as his hyenas circled more closely to Sam. Sam backed away. The air was filling with the scent of smoke, and Sam looked down, off the edge of Pride Rock. There was fire spreading through the brush below.

"You're in trouble again, Sammy, and this time _daddy_ isn't here to save you!"

Sam looked back anxiously. He was at the edge of Pride Rock, if the hyenas circled any closer, he'd fall. He found Azazel's eyes amongst the smiling, sadistic faces of the hyenas.

"I've grown up, Uncle Azazel. I don't need my father to protect me anymore. I can take care of myself."

Azazel smirked. "Is that so?"

"Are you too afraid to fight me, Azazel?" Sam challenged. "Are you just going to make your hyenas do your dirty work? Are you a _coward?"_

Azazel snarled. The hyenas parted for him as he came through to face Sam.

"You are still nothing but a _boy_ Sam. I would have no problem killing you."

Sam crouched readily. "Prove it. You and me. To the death."

Azazel glared at him, his eyes burning furiously. "Very well."

Lightning split the quiet, and its light was momentarily blinding.

Sam went for the kill.


	10. Chapter 10

**_It's a Wonderful Circle of Life_**

**_Warnings: Ending ahoy!_**

**_Disclaimer: Still not mine._**

**_A/N: Well, this is the last chapter. I've never finished a multi-chapter story before, so this feels pretty good. Even though I've been super nervous about this story, since I cranked it all out in about a week. I hope you enjoyed it._**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Ten<em>

* * *

><p>"Too hasty," Azazel said, as he ducked out of the way of Sam's initial attack.<p>

Sam didn't reply, just spun to keep Azazel in his sights. He knew better than to turn his back on his uncle. Azazel didn't make a move, and seemed intent on just standing there, just out of Sam's reach.

Sam snarled and charged again. Azazel dropped his shoulder protectively, and they collided briefly before Azazel retreated. He was still smirking.

"Fight me!" Sam challenged.

"I will," Azazel promised.

This time when Sam charged, he clamped his teeth down hard on Azazel's neck, so the older lion couldn't slip away again.

Azazel twisted in his grasp, and sunk his claws into the fleshy parts just under Sam's ribcage. Sam grunted in pain but held on tenaciously. He was going to end this, right now.

Azazel dropped, bringing them both to the ground, and he rolled, wrenching his mane out of Sam's mouth. He drew away, and Sam climbed hurriedly to his feet, back into a defensive position. His side was bleeding.

"You deserved that," Azazel said. "You left yourself wide open to an attack. You're too much like you're father, Sam. You have to use your _mind _in a fight."

The problem with that was that Sam didn't have a mind for fighting. He'd never been taught how to take on another lion. What he did have was his instincts, and an one hundred-pound weight advantage, and he'd make use of what he had.

Sam watched Azazel carefully for an opening, but the older lion let none of his defenses slip. Behind him, his hyenas were getting antsy.

"Well, we don't have all night," Azazel said lazily.

"I was thinking the same thing," Sam retorted. He rushed Azazel, trying to overwhelm him with his sheer size. He thought he actually heard Azazel sigh in exasperation before there were teeth sinking deeply into his shoulder, under his mane. He roared in surprise and pain, and in that one moment of weakness, Azazel took his advantage and pinned Sam beneath him, pressing one paw into Sam's windpipe so that he couldn't breathe.

"Sam!" Gabriel shouted. Sam heard the snarling of hyenas meeting a challenger, and squirmed under Azazel's hold.

"_Oh,_ this was really too easy," Azazel said wistfully.

Sam could hear his heart racing in his ears, and his lungs ached sharply, but he couldn't pull air into his lungs.

Azazel started to laugh. "Would you like to hear a secret before you die?" he asked. He giggled a few times, uncontrollably, and leaned down, into Sam's space. "It was me," he said, his voice filled with mirth. "_I_ killed your father."

Sam's eyes widened in horror. Somehow, Sam felt a renewed strength rush through his body, and he surged up against Azazel, flipping his uncle off of him. Sam bit down hard on Azazel's foreleg, until he could feel the bone splintering between his jaws.

Azazel made a high, ugly noise of pain, and Sam felt him slash at Sam's soft belly with his back foot. He recoiled, releasing Azazel's leg, but it didn't matter. Azazel wasn't going anywhere now.

"_Murderer!_" he spat. He stepped over his uncle and pressed down on his windpipe until Azazel retched. "Tell them the truth," he said, looking over at the lionesses to be sure they were listening. Gabriel was sporting a bloody ear that sent a swell of fury through Sam. "Tell them!" he demanded.

"Sam," Azazel choked weakly.

"_Now_," Sam said, pressing down threateningly.

"_Alright,"_ Azazel agreed, and Sam pulled some of his weight back so that his uncle could speak. "It was me," he said. "I killed John Winchester."

He snarled and swiped his claws across Sam's face and Sam flinched back, blinking blood out of his eyes.

"_Get him!"_ Azazel shrieked.

The hyenas swarmed over Sam at Azazel's order, and Sam faltered under their combined weight. He heard one of the lionesses roar a battle cry, and the surface of Pride Rock broke into violence.

A hyena latched onto Sam's throat, and Sam yowled. He threw his head back, kicking out blindly with his front paws. Hyenas were smaller and stupider than lions, but they had the advantage of numbers. There were too many for Sam to fight off in time to get to Azazel.

He heard a screeching, angry cry, and several hyenas were dislodged from his back. Missouri was holding a long, strange staff in one hand, and was wielding it like a weapon. Before Sam even had a chance to thank her, she rushed into the fight, swinging her stick left and right.

"Sam!"

It was Castiel who jumped into the fray next to Sam, guarding his back. "Azazel's escaping," he said. "I can hold the hyenas off. You have to go!"

"What about—"

"_Go!" _Castiel said, with a vicious snarl at an approaching hyena.

Sam leapt up the side of Pride Rock, out of the fight. He could see Azazel above him, limping towards the peak of Pride Rock. Sam bared his teeth and hissed angrily, and started up after him.

When he reached the top of Pride Rock, Azazel was limping desperately back and forth before a sheer drop straight into the fire below. Fire was all around them. He turned when Sam growled.

"Sam…Sam, please…" he said nervously.

"Murderer," Sam accused darkly. "You don't deserve to live."

"But Sam, you couldn't kill me," Azazel said beseechingly. "I'm still your family. You wouldn't kill family, would you?"

"No," Sam said. "See, I'm not like you, Azazel."

"No, of course not," Azazel agreed. "You would show mercy. I see now that you are the true king, Sam. I would gladly pledge my allegiance to you. I'll change my ways, I'll do anything you ask me to."

Sam looked down coldly at the cowering figure his uncle had become. "Leave Pride Rock," he said.

Azazel froze. "…What?" he asked incredulously.

"It's the only way that I won't have to kill you," Sam said with barely contained fury. "Leave Pride Rock, and never return."

Azazel bowed his head. "Yes, I see," he said slowly. "Of course, Sam. I'll go."

He padded around Sam, and Sam watched him warily. Azazel stepped daintily over some still-glowing embers and looks back at Sam, smiling. "But before I go…"

He kicked the embers into Sam's eyes and Sam roared in pain. Before he could get his sight back, he felt Azazel's weight hit him and he fell.

"You have been a pain in my side for too long!" Azazel snarled as he sunk his canines into Sam's neck.

Sam growled and struck out with a paw. Azazel stumbled back. His eyes were glowing, reflecting the flames that surrounded them.

"Your brother, your father—they were so easy to get out of the way. But _you_! You just don't know when to step aside!"

He lunged as well as he could at Sam, bowling him over, but Sam kicked him off with all his might and Azazel soared over Sam's head. He heard a mighty roar of agony, and rolled over to see what had happened.

His uncle was clinging to the edge of Pride Rock, just dangling above the fires raging below. His injured leg shook violently, and his claws broke against the stone they were gripping at.

"Sam…" Azazel gasped pleadingly. "Nephew, please."

"It's a long way down," Sam noted to Azazel. He made no move to help. "But maybe the fire will break your fall."

"Sam, _please_," Azazel said. "You aren't like me. You aren't cruel."

Sam's eyes narrowed, considering his uncle carefully. He got up and moved closer. "I'm not," he agreed.

"Oh, Sam. Thank you," Azazel said in relief. "I really will repay you—"

He cut off with a cry when Sam sunk claws into the back of Azazel's paws.

"But I think I'm going to make an exception for you," Sam said. He smiled. "Tell me how much I've grown."

"You've…you really have grown," Azazel babbled mindlessly. "Sam…please, Sam…"

"I guess I really am a murderer," Sam said stiffly. He flexed his claws deep into his uncle's flesh, and Azazel yowled pathetically, like a cub trying to master its roar.

Sam smiled maliciously. "You might want to work on that little roar of yours."

He pushed, and Azazel fell. Sam didn't even bother to watch where he landed.

Above, the clouds released a torrential rain.

* * *

><p>The lionesses rushed to greet Sam when he descended Pride Rock. Mary reached him first, and slipped her head comfortably under his. Sam closed his eyes and breathed her in for a moment. Her flanks were streaked with blood but she seemed otherwise unharmed.<p>

Castiel approached him next, limping, and Gabriel followed just half a step behind. His ear was bleeding freely, but the rain had begun to wash some of it away.

"Sam," Gabriel said, his voice high with relief. He nuzzled Sam's mane thoroughly, purring, of all things. Sam would probably make fun of him for it later.

Castiel bowed his mane-less head respectfully when Gabriel finally pulled away. Sam dipped his head slightly in return.

"Sam."

Missouri stood above them all, near the den mouth. She gestured out to Pride Rock's long overhang.

"It is time," she said.

Sam nodded, for once self-conscious in his lion skin. He began to climb the familiar path up Pride Rock when a voice cleared its throat loudly.

Sam smiled down at Jo fondly. She hesitated, but then bowed, looking extremely uncomfortable. "You're still an overgrown fuzz ball," she said when he stood upright again. "Just to be clear."

"We were never unclear on that, Jo," Sam said.

Ash simply smiled at Sam and said nothing.

"C'mon," he said to them, gesturing up at Missouri. If he was going to be standing on a rock out in the cold rain, he was going to make someone suffer with him.

He again started up the familiar path, this time with Ash and Jo following a few uncertain steps behind.

Bobby was standing at Missouri's side, looking wet and unhappy. He glowered at Sam. "I suppose now you think you're something special," he said, and flinched when Missouri raised her staff threateningly.

Sam snorted in amusement. He was finally taking his place as king, and suddenly everyone had a commentary.

He walked nervously out onto the jutting stone of Pride Rock, from which he could see the whole kingdom stretched out before him. The land was still sick, but it would heal. Already the water was washing away the stench of blood and battle. Soon, the herds would return, and the streams would flow properly again, and the land would be his kingdom to protect.

Jo then proved that she couldn't keep quiet for more than three minutes at a time.

"C'mon, you know you wanna," she said.

Sam looked down at her. "What?"

She shrugged. "You know. Roar. You know you want to."

Sam smiled. "If you say so," he said.

He roared up at the stormy sky, and his lionesses answered their king in earnest.

A new rule had begun.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END! Woo-hoo! Cue the fireworks!...Oh, I don't have that kind of budget? Never mind.<strong>


End file.
